|
Location:
|
Southern Africa, bordering the South Atlantic Ocean, between Namibia and Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
|
Geographic coordinates:
|
12 30 S, 18 30 E
|
|
Map references:
|
Africa
|
|
Area:
|
total: 1,246,700 sq km
water: 0 sq km
land: 1,246,700 sq km
|
|
Area - comparative:
|
slightly less than twice the size of Texas
|
|
Land boundaries:
|
total: 5,198 km
border countries: Democratic Republic of the Congo 2,511 km (of which 225 km is the boundary of discontiguous Cabinda Province), Republic of the Congo 201 km, Namibia 1,376 km, Zambia 1,110 km
|
|
Coastline:
|
1,600 km
|
|
Maritime claims:
|
contiguous zone: 24 NM
exclusive economic zone: 200 NM
territorial sea: 12 NM
|
|
Climate:
|
semiarid in south and along coast to Luanda; north has cool, dry season (May to October) and hot, rainy season (November to April)
|
|
Terrain:
|
narrow coastal plain rises abruptly to vast interior plateau
|
|
Elevation extremes:
|
lowest point: Atlantic Ocean 0 m
highest point: Morro de Moco 2,620 m
|
|
Natural resources:
|
petroleum, diamonds, iron ore, phosphates, copper, feldspar, gold, bauxite, uranium
|
|
Land use:
|
arable land: 2.41%
permanent crops: 0.4%
other: 97.19% (1998 est.)
|
|
Irrigated land:
|
750 sq km (1998 est.)
|
|
Natural hazards:
|
locally heavy rainfall causes periodic flooding on the plateau
|
|
Environment - current issues:
|
overuse of pastures and subsequent soil erosion attributable to population pressures; desertification; deforestation of tropical rain forest, in response to both international demand for tropical timber and to domestic use as fuel, resulting in loss of biodiversity; soil erosion contributing to water pollution and siltation of rivers and dams; inadequate supplies of potable water
|
|
Environment - international agreements:
|
party to: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Desertification, Law of the Sea, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
|
|
Geography - note:
|
the province of Cabinda is an exclave, separated from the rest of the country by the Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
